From Crisis to Community Safety
How Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Helped Transform Dot Lake Village
For years, the residents of Dot Lake Village faced escalating crime, drug activity, vandalism, and violence with little immediate law enforcement support available to the community. Located along the Alaska Highway in the Upper Tanana region, the small rural Alaska Native village often waited extended periods for emergency response from outside agencies located an hour away.
Today, community leaders say the situation has changed dramatically.
Through funding received under the Department of Justice Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (STCJ) Program in 2023, Dot Lake Village has been able to strengthen tribal governance, expand public safety infrastructure, and establish a tribal law enforcement presence within the village for the first time in modern history.
According to Tribal President Tracy Charles-Smith, the STCJ grant provided the resources necessary to modernize the Tribe’s justice system and create long-term community safety initiatives.
“We were able to update our tribal codes, strengthen our Tribal Court system, create a law enforcement agency, hire a police officer, and secure support from prosecutors, public defenders, and tribal court judges,” Charles-Smith explained during a recent interview.
For community members, the most immediate impact has been a renewed sense of safety.
“Everyone feels safer,” Charles-Smith said. “The council doesn’t have to do the policing anymore, which caused a tremendous amount of stress and danger for leadership and employees. There’s been a reduction in vandalism and criminal activity.”
Before the establishment of a tribal police presence, Dot Lake Village experienced years of persistent drug activity and property crime. Tribal leadership described a period when village infrastructure was repeatedly vandalized, tribal property was damaged, and residents lived under constant fear and intimidation.
“There were nonstop problems,” Charles-Smith said. “Traffic in and out of drug houses at all hours, thefts, vandalism, aggressive behavior, and threats against council members and employees. People didn’t feel safe.”
According to Charles-Smith, the Tribe began addressing these issues years before receiving STCJ funding, often with little outside assistance. Tribal leadership initiated civil legal action against major drug operators, enforced tribal land and lease requirements, and rebuilt the Tribe’s financial and administrative systems following significant governance and financial challenges.
“We had to rebuild everything from the ground up,” she said. “But we kept going because we wanted Dot Lake to be safe again.”
The STCJ grant helped expand and formalize those efforts by allowing the Tribe to establish its own law enforcement capacity.
Village resident Chance Shank described the change as immediate and substantial.
“The difference is huge,” Shank said. “Before, if something happened, we were relying on a response from Tok, which could take an hour or more. Now, with a tribal police officer stationed in the village, response times can be just minutes.”
Shank noted that simply having a visible law enforcement presence has helped deter criminal behavior.
“People know there’s accountability now where there wasn’t before,” he explained. “Issues like reckless driving, vandalism, trespassing, and damage to tribal property can now be addressed immediately.”
Tribal leadership also emphasized that building a culturally grounded police department has been central to Dot Lake Village’s approach to public safety.
“We now have the ability to hold our staff to the highest standards,” Charles-Smith said. “Racism is not tolerated, and our tribal members do not have to worry about being shot by officers when there is a situation.”
She added that Dot Lake Village is intentionally building a public safety system rooted in traditional Native values and community relationships.
“Our staff is learning to carry the same cultural values as our ancestors,” she said. “We’re teaching our youth about the importance of our traditional ways.”
The tribal police presence has also strengthened relationships within the community, particularly with youth.
Tribal Police Officer Douglas Paradise has participated in cultural activities and youth programming, including Dot Lake Village’s Winter Culture Camp and trips to the Tribe’s fish camp at Sam Lake alongside students and elders.
“He’s built relationships with the community,” Shank said. “The kids had a great experience with him, and that matters.”
In addition to strengthening public safety, Dot Lake Village has utilized Department of Justice funding to build a broad network of culturally responsive victim and behavioral health services through its tribal programs, including TeeJuh Behavioral Health.
What began as efforts to address violence and substance abuse within Dot Lake Village has expanded into a regional support system serving individuals and families in more than 40 communities across Alaska.
Through these programs, Dot Lake Village now provides services for victims of crime, counseling and behavioral health support, Batterer’s Intervention Programs, alcohol recovery support groups, Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) family support groups, parenting classes, domestic violence education groups for both men and women, and survivor support services for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
The Tribe has also established one of Alaska’s first Tribal-led Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) programs, helping survivors access advocacy, forensic support, safety planning, and culturally informed care closer to home.
Leaders say these programs are rooted in healing, accountability, and restoring traditional community values.
“For us, this work is bigger than law enforcement,” Charles-Smith said. “It’s about healing our people, supporting victims, rebuilding families, and making sure future generations grow up understanding who they are and where they come from.”
Today, Dot Lake Village leaders say the community is experiencing a level of stability and safety that many residents had not felt in years.
“We can finally sleep at night knowing someone is here,” Charles-Smith said. “People know they don’t have to put themselves in danger anymore to protect the community.”
While challenges remain, tribal leadership believes the STCJ program has fundamentally changed the trajectory of the village by empowering the Tribe to exercise greater sovereignty over public safety, justice services, and community wellness initiatives.
The Tribe continues to utilize STCJ funding to strengthen Tribal Court operations, expand law enforcement capacity, improve victim services, and build long-term public safety infrastructure designed specifically for the needs of rural Alaska Native communities.
For Dot Lake Village, leaders say the work is ultimately about restoring safety, stability, healing, and hope for future generations.
“We did this because we wanted our community to be safe again,” Charles-Smith said. “And now we’re seeing what’s possible when Tribes are given the tools and authority to protect and care for their own people.”
